2013 CB Cox Stakes Winner Ihtsahymn Scores Group Triple

Fred Kersley’s star three-year-old Ihtsahymn cemented their title as the topliner of the Perth Summer Racing Carnival with their third Group win on the trot in Saturday’s CB Cox Stakes 2013.

The Ihtiram gelding has gone from strength to strength this season and is now a triple Group winner and $845,000 earner.

From a first-up seventh in the unsuitably short Listed Belgravia Stakes (1200m) in October, Ihtsahymn scored their first big win on November 23 beating a field of fellow three-year-olds in the Group 2 WA Guineas (1600m).

From there it was onto the Group 1 platform with their victory over star Perth galloper Luckygray in the Kingston Town Classic over the 1800m.

Stepping up in distance again on the weekend Ihtsahymn took on a similar field of stayers this time over the 2100m in the $250,000 Group 2 C.B. Cox Stakes.

They went out as the $3.60 favourite after their Kingston win and saluted for the punters, relishing their 51kg in the weight-for-age feature.

Ridden again by Steven Parnham the youngster was able to get into a lovely position soon after jump and had the perfect run throughout settling just off the pace.

Displaying their customary turn of foot at the top of the straight they moved up to hit the lead with Kincaple over the final stages of the race.

Matching the Mick Reed-trained eight-year-old, who showed much improvement after a failed Railway Stakes 13th last month, Ihtsahymn went stride-for-stride with their older challenger who nearly went all the way.

In the end though it was the young gun who got the upper hand pulling away to defeat Kincaple ($21) by half a length, another Perth Cup fancy Rohan ($8.50) finishing off the CB Cox Stakes trifecta two and a quarter lengths off the winner.

While a number of the CB Cox Stakes runners will back-up on New Year’s Day in the 2014 Perth Cup over the mile and a half at Ascot Racecourse, Ihtsahymn will instead head to the paddock for a well-earned rest.

They will return later in 2014 with Kersley keeping tight lipped over whether they will aim for the obvious target, the $400,000 Group 2 WATC Derby (2400m) on April 12.

Having beaten the best at home in WA there’s also a chance Ihtsahymn will head east during the autumn for a tilt at the Sydney and or Melbourne riches.

“I haven’t thought beyond today; I wanted to get through today first,” Kersley said in his post-race interviews.

“I went into the race apprehensive because I wasn’t sure whether I was testing him a bit too much.

“The (WATC) Derby is an option but his options here are limited.

“It’s very tough to win over east.”

The next best in betting on the weekend was Trevor Andrews’ triple Group 1 winner Luckygray ($4.20) who could only manage to finish three lengths away fifth and will now be spelled along with the defending champ Mr Moet who ran sixth.

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